Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Think of it as a boot camp for potential LGBT candidates. The deadline is nearing for LGBT hopefuls to sign up for the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute’s Candidate and Campaign Training in Denver, CO. This coming Tuesday, August 25, is the last day to apply for the training program running September 24-27.

The GLLI’s training program assists LGBT hopefuls in learning the ins and outs of running a campaign as an out candidate. Attendees will learn about raising enough money to compete, how to formulate a political message that allows candidates to run as more than just an LGBT candidate, and how to produce a winning campaign. Candidates will even participate in an intense campaign simulation over the four days in Denver.

By taking the training program to Colorado, the GLLI will be paying a visit to the state that gave us one of our most significant victories in 2008: the first gay man elected as a non-incumbent to the US House of Representatives, Jared Polis. Back in 2006, Polis prepared for his historic run by participating in the GLLI’s Candidate & Campaign Training. Three years later, Polis is crafting legislation in the House and the program that helped put him there is coming to Denver.

Additional training alumni include the first Latina lesbian sheriff elected in the United States, Dallas’s Lupe Valdez, and the first lesbian elected to the North Carolina state Senate, Senator Julia Boseman. These remarkable candidates, and many more, started their campaign journey by participating in this renowned training.

The deadline to start your path to public service is Tuesday, so apply now!